Quick and Easy Chocolate Brownies

Sometimes you just need something sweet, and in a hurry. For me, that’s usually something involving fruit and crisp, crackling pastry. But every once in a while, my desires turn to something altogether darker. When I need warm and gooey chocolate, I turn to this recipe for chocolate brownies. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, including melting the chocolate, plus 25 minutes to bake.

This recipe is largely dependent on the quality of your chocolate. I like to use Lindt 70% cacao chocolate in most of my baking, but use any good quality chocolate you prefer. If you don’t have really good chocolate, standard chocolate chips will be fine. When you melt your chocolate and butter, be sure to let it cool for a few moments before adding in your eggs. Scrambled eggs in your brownies are no fun. Also, I tend to prefer “natural” cocoa powder in my baking. In the US, the only two natural (not dutch processed) cocoas commonly available are made by Hershey or Ghiradelli.

Whenever I bake brownies, I make sure to spray or butter the pan and line the bottom with parchment, leaving a generous overhang on two sides which I can use as handles to lift the hot brownies from the pan as soon as they leave the oven.